Treatment results of early stage Hodgkin's disease: a retrospective study of 58 cases

This study included 58 cases with Hodgkin's disease stage IA [34 patients] and IIA [24 patients] treated in Erfan and Saudi German Hospitals between August 1987 and August 1994. Patients were treated by either radiotherapy [mantle or inverted Y fields] or chemotherapy [with or without regional radiation therapy]. The follow up ranged between 11 months and 7 years with a median follow up of 3 years. All patients treated by radiotherapy achieved complete remission [CR] 32 and 25 remained disease free. In the chemotherapy group, 96% achieved CR and 76% patients remained disease free. In the first group, all relapses occurred in distant sites. On the other hand, all relapses in the second group were in those having bulky disease. In stage IA patients, the disease free survival [DFS] was better for the group treated by radiotherapy. On the other hand, the DFS was better for chemotherapy in stage IIA patients; the difference was statistically insignificant

Radiation therapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of rectosigmoid carcinomas

Carcinomas of the rectum and sigmoid colon are the most common tumours of the gastrointestinal tract. The treatment results and prognostic factors of 63 patients with stage B-C carcinomas of the rectum and simoid colon were analyzed. Thirty-one patients [49%] had stage B disease. Thirty-two patients [51%] had stage C disease. All patients had surgical resection in the form of abdomino-perineal resction, anterior resection of rectal carcinoma, or simoid colon resection. This was followed by adjuvant treatment by external beam radiation therapy [dose of 4500-5040 cGy, at 180 cGy per fraction, five fraction a week] Using Six linear accelerator, adjuvant chemotherapy was given using fluorouracil and Leucovorin, for six months. The 3-year disease free survival for the whole group was 65%. Disease free survival rate at 3 years for stage B was 74% and for stage C, was 56%. The 56% local regional recurrence rate and distant metastasis rate at 3 years for the whole group was 35%. Distant metastases rate was 30%. No life threatening complications were recorded to this multidisciplinary treatment. The stage of the disease was the most important prognostic factor in predicting the survival